Third Time's the Charm
by K.R. Saks
Summary: ONE-SHOT. Wally's eyes widen and he points a shaking finger at Dick. "You're an imposter!" he cries. "You must be. How did you learn to do that? You're supposed to be useless!" In which it takes Wally three missions, a few bullets, and a whole lot of yelling to realize that maybe, just maybe, there's more to Dick Grayson than meets the eye.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own any familiar characters from Young Justice!

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 **Third Time's the Charm**

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 **-1-**

The first time Wally meets Dick Grayson, he's thirteen, has just gotten into the superhero business, and is unbelievably excited for his _first solo mission_.

Robin is out with Batman, Flash is taking care of business with Superman, Green Arrow, and Black Canary, which leaves Kid Flash the Great to embark on this daring journey of rescue and return.

Wally can hardly wait.

" _Be careful_ ," Flash warns. "Dick Grayson is Bruce Wayne's ward. Make sure he returns unharmed. I'm not sure I want to get on the bad side of a billionaire just yet."

He dismisses Flash's warning with a casual flick of the hand, crows, "Just leave it to the Wallman!" and then zips out of Central before his uncle can say another word. Because honestly, how hard can rescuing a kid possibly be?

His thoughts on the situation change a little when he arrives at Gotham Academy and sees the school on lockdown. The GCPD has the premises secured, but from the twitchiness of the police officers, it doesn't seem as if everything is truly under control.

Wally speeds past the barrage of men and cars and enters the school through the miraculously unguarded side door.

The hallway is eerily silent.

Flash's voice suddenly comes on in his right ear. "Kid, are you in?"

"Yep. The hallways are empty. I'm checking the rooms now." He pauses a little at the odd sound in his uncle's voice. "What's the matter? You sound worried."

Flash sighs. "We were following a false lead. Apparently the missing device is _in_ Gotham Academy."

Wally screeches to a stop, nearly barreling straight into a water fountain. " _What?_ How? You mean the bad guys have it?"

"It's unclear. We're heading over now, but until then, stay alert."

"Aye, aye, Cap'n!"

He continues running, at a slower pace now, and keeps his ears peeled for noises coming from any of the rooms. He turns the corner into one hallway, and then another… and another. The school is _huge_ compared to Keystone High, and he can't help but grumble a little at the unfairness of it all. If only _he_ could have such a nice locker…

He stop abruptly when he runs past the cafeteria and peeks through the crack in the doors. There's a hoard of students gathered in the area, chaperoned by teachers. They're all huddled closely, a mass of arms and legs, as if that would save them from an impending attack. Strength in numbers, Wally supposes, but since the students don't seem to be in any immediate danger, he continues on. It's just a hunch, but he gets the feeling that Dick Grayson would not be among those students.

Wally loops around one more corner and is about to head towards what looks like the staff rooms when he sees the men. They're huddled in the teachers' breakroom, looking absolutely miserable. The man on the left shuffles a little, hoists his gun, and then wipes the sweat from his forehead. It dampens his sleeve. "Why are we still here?" he grumbles to his friend, who looks equally as annoyed. "I thought our shift ended half an hour ago."

The second man rolls his eyes. "Yeah well, Boss isn't exactly the most reliable, is he? He just wants us here in case something happens. Dumb if you ask me."

"Yeah, it's stupid. Plus, that Grayson kid's cornered in the library. They've got no time for anyone else."

"Grayson? Isn't that Bruce Wayne's son?"

"Something like that. Who knows how he got wind of-"

Wally doesn't stay to hear the remaining conversation. He remembers passing the library on his way and backtracks, arriving in fifteen seconds flat. There's no one guarding the double doors, but through the mini windows he can see six men surrounding a kid, who's perched on a table. Wally cranes his head to get a better view, and he thinks he recognizes the black hair, sharp blue eyes, and slight figure from the few times he bothered to watch the Gotham news.

It must be Dick Grayson.

Wally cracks the door open a little, just wide enough to hear the conversation but not risk detection.

"I really don't know what you're talking about," Dick is saying, sounding completely innocent and very bewildered. "Honest! Cross my heart and hope to die and all that."

"You'll really be hoping to die when we're done with you," one of the goons growls, and lunges forward, eliciting a loud squeak from Dick. "We know you hid the device. One more chance before I thrust this into you!"

He holds up a shining pocket knife for emphasis.

Dick visibly trembles, and Wally wonders how old the kid is. He doesn't look like he's old enough to attend high school, but if that's the case, why is he even in Gotham Academy in the first place?

"Honestly, sir!" Dick tries again, this time adding a little quiver to his lip. "I really don't know! I'm only eleven!"

 _Oh great, the kid's eleven. He's practically a baby_ , Wally thinks, and then scowls. He should just run in, knock everyone out, and then grab the kid. But according to the goon, Grayson has hidden whatever device they're looking for, and the League is also after it. He needs to do everything in one fell swoop.

The man grabs Dick's hair and yanks his head back. "I'm giving you ten seconds before I run this pretty little knife across your throat."

"But-"

"Ten."

"I already said I don't know!"

"Nine."

"Eight."

"Seven."

Wally mentally groans and shifts his footing. Looks like he'll just have to wing it. He can only hope that Dick is still carrying the device on his person, but better to risk the device than to have the kid's throat sliced open.

"Six."

"Five."

Wally bursts forward. He earns a shout of surprise from the man closest to him, but even as he's taking the man down, he hears a _clack_ , _hiss_ … and then comes the dark smoke, concealing the entire library in a thick gray cloud.

Wally throws his arm over his mouth and nose and hurriedly looks around, thanking the heavens above that he wears goggles as part of his costume. The goons are rolling around on the floor hacking up a lung, but Dick Grayson is nowhere to be found.

He speeds to the table that Dick had been sitting on prior, and mentally lets out a curse when he sees no trace of the kid. He can feel his lungs tighten as the smoke filters through his poor excuse of a cover and he struggles not to cough, knowing that he'll be a goner after the first breath.

That's when he suddenly feels a wet cloth placed around his nose and mouth. Wally spins around to see Dick Grayson, holding a water bottle in one hand and a similar piece of wet cloth in the other. His eyes are wide and watery, but he hurriedly gestures for Wally to follow him out of the library.

Wally doesn't need to be told twice. He grabs Dick's arm, throws him over his back, and hurtles out of the library, sending the double doors slamming in his wake. It's only when he's a safe distance from the library that he drops Dick and lets out a breath, feeling incredibly grateful for the clean air.

And that's when his foggy mind registers Dick's voice yelling his name.

"—go back! Kid Flash!"

He stares at the kid. "Excuse me?"

"We have to go back!" Dick's eyes are still watery from the smoke and his shirt's haphazardly torn, having been used as the makeshift wet cloths, but he's insistent. "We need to get the device!"

"Wait, you don't have it on you?"

"I dropped it when you grabbed me."

Wally groans and rubs his face, now sans goggles. It figures. Of course things couldn't be _this_ easy. "All right. Where do you think you dropped it? I'll go back and find it."

"No, I have to go with you." When Wally looks incredulous, Dick narrows his eyes. "You don't even know what it looks like."

"Oh come on, how hard can it be to find?"

"Stop arguing, we're running out of time!"

Despite how dire the situation is, Wally feels his annoyance surge. He's just saved the kid's life, and not only is the kid not grateful, he's also _ordering_ Wally around?

No, Wally West does _not_ take orders from eleven-year-old brats.

"What are you even doing here anyway?" he says, not bothering to hide his aggravation. "Aren't you a little too young to be attending high school?"

Dick's in the middle of patting himself down when he registers the question, and he pauses briefly to lift a brow at Wally's question. "Obviously. But I stole the device from those men and had nowhere else to hide, so I came here." He finally straightens and holds up a spray tube. "Looks like I'm fresh out of smoke bombs, but I do still have this pepper spray. Let's go."

Wally can't help but gape. "What's a rich kid like you carrying around smoke bombs for?"

"I get kidnapped a lot. It comes in handy."

Wally doesn't know what to make of the situation anymore. He runs an irritated hand through his hair, but then snaps his goggles on his eyes and throws Dick over his shoulder once more. Flash would have his head if he knew they had lost the device because Wally was being pig-headed.

The smoke has largely dissipated by the time they arrive and from the looks of it, the goons have mostly recovered and are now slouched along the tables, looking for the most part highly discombobulated.

Dick peers in through the narrow windows and sighs. "They have the device."

"Who's got it?"

"The man in that brown vest, by the left corner."

"Great, I'm going in!"

"Kid Flash-!"

Wally throws open the doors and charges in. The men blink at him, thrown momentarily off-kilter by the suddenness of his appearance, and then the one in the front lets out an alarmingly animalistic roar and fires.

A barrage of bullets clang against the metal cart Wally's standing next to and he yelps and jumps out of the way… only to realize that Dick Grayson is now in the line of fire.

He lets out a string of curses that would earn him a good head-smacking from his mom and grabs Dick again, barely managing to dodge the barrage of bullets as he races towards the far end of the room.

"Okay this is _not good! Notgoodnotgoodnotgood…_ "

Dick is yelling in his ear now. "Put me down, Kid Flash! Drop me next to the brown-vest-guy!"

"What? And let _you_ tackle him one-on-one? I _just_ saved your ass!"

Nevertheless, Dick's words offer him a semblance of a plan. He spins back around towards the brown-vest-guy and, with the snap of a leg, kicks the gun of his hand, earning him a loud yowl. He deposits Dick next to the now-incapacitated man with a "Don't you _dare_ get yourself killed!" and flies back out into the mayhem.

Thankfully, it's quick work from there. He moves so quickly that the men barely have a chance to register his presence before he knocks them out, and Wally lets out a cheer of triumph when he finally skids to a halt and sees the damage in his wake.

"Taken _down_ by the Wallman!" he crows, and can't resist dancing a little jig.

"The _Wallman?_ Is that seriously what you call yourself?"

Wally shoots a glare at Dick, who has somehow managed to sneak up on him. "What's it to you, _Dick?_ " he snaps, and then snickers.

Dick rolls his eyes. "Oh ha _ha_ , very original. And very mature." He holds up a small black box in his hand, and Wally guesses this is the infamous device everyone's been after. "Regardless, thanks for your help. I think Bruce will be relieved we got this back."

"It's Bruce Wayne's? But the Justice League also wants it. What is it?"

Dick shrugs. "No idea actually."

" _What?_ "

The comm in his ear suddenly clicks on. "Kid Flash, where are you? We got detained by another crew just outside Gotham Academy."

"In the library with Dick. We got the device."

Flash sounds impressed. "Nice job, Kid. See you soon."

Dick's flipping his phone shut when Wally ends his call. "Well, that was Bruce. Looks like he's here to pick me up."

Wally snorts as they exit the library. "Have fun getting chaperoned home."

"Naturally. See you later, Kid Flash."

He blinks as Dick starts walking down the hall. "Wait! What about the device?"

Dick Grayson stops and turns with a grin, his eyes blue and bright in the dimness of the hallway. "Come visit me in Gotham sometime. Then we'll talk."

 **-2-**

The second time Wally meets Dick Grayson, he's dressed in a horribly uncomfortable suit and wears an eye-mask and wishes beyond anything that he were back at home with his video games.

But fate is apparently not on his side. Mr. Rich and Famous needs a body guard, and who better than _Kid Flash_? Because Kid Flash clearly has nothing better to do with his time.

"Hors d'oeuvres, sir?" a server asks, and nearly bowls Wally over with a tray of mystery meat atop crackers.

"Err… no, no thanks," he says, and slinks away before anyone else can bombard him with exotic edibles. He quickly spies a buffet table stacked with steaks, sausages, and what looks like mini hamburgers and makes a beeline towards it. "Now this is more like it!"

Wally stacks his plate so high he's worried for a second he's not going to be able to balance it all, but he impresses even himself as he manages to maneuver the Leaning Tower of Meat to the nearest table and seats himself, ignoring the scandalous looks he receives from the other patrons at his table.

Their plates are filled with dainty salads and cups of soup, hardly enough food to fill a speedster's stomach.

Wally eyes his plate happily and spears a cut of the lamb into his mouth.

"I should've had them prepare a Kid Flash-exclusive buffet."

Wally jumps, chokes, and then hacks up part of the lamb chop that had gone down the wrong pipe. When he finally manages to dislodge the offensive meat, he glares at the speaker.

Dick Grayson flashes pearly whites and gestures at Wally's plate, kind of like _go ahead, don't let me stop you from eating like a barbarian_ , but Wally is already pissed and forcefully chugs down his glass of juice instead.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" he demands. "Can't you show up like a normal person?"

Dick smiles, unperturbed. He looks as dashing as an eleven-year-old could, with a fancy black suit and a dark blue tie to match his eyes. He's wearing a thin black mask that covers so little of his face that his identity is hardly a secret. Wally suddenly feels very self-conscious about the thrift store suit he had picked up before coming to Gotham. He doesn't think he'll ever need it again – because honestly, who wears suits anymore – but apparently he should've realized he'd be in the presence of Gotham's elites.

"I try to be unpredictable," Dick chirps, and then grins again, leans in conspiratorially, and says, "Bad guys have a harder time catching me this way."

"Uh huh," Wally grumbles, and tears a huge chunk out of his sausage. "Is that what this whole masquerade thing is all about?"

"Nah, that's just because Bruce is running out of creative ideas for party themes. That, and well… don't tell anyone I said this, but he's not the _biggest_ fan of some of the people here either."

Wally snorts but doesn't say anything.

Dick watches him for a few seconds before he picks up the mystery meat appetizer on his plate and takes a bite. He chews thoughtfully, and then asks with a nice little tip of the head, "Aren't you supposed to be my bodyguard for the night?"

"Apparently."

"Then how come _I_ have to come looking for _you?_ " A corner of his lips lift when he sees Wally shovel an entire mini hamburger into his mouth. "Never mind the fact that the one being guarded has to seek out the guard, but I'm not sure how comfortable I feel with the competence of my bodyguard when he's too busy stuffing sliders into his mouth to even pay attention to me."

Wally stops, mid-slider, and takes note of the fact that the things he had so casually been referring to as "mini-hamburgers" actually _have a different name?_

And then he registers the insult.

"Yes well, does it _look_ like anything's going to attack you?" he declares, after swallowing the other half of the slider. "The chairs? The tables?" Wally gasps dramatically then, and gestures towards a trio of gray-haired businessmen in the corner. "Or maybe _they_ want to kidnap you and have their nefarious way with you."

There's a loud "hmph!" from across the table as one of the old ladies stomps away in her ridiculously obnoxious four-inch heels.

Dick stifles a snicker. "You realize you just insulted her husband? You should be grateful you're undercover right now. Imagine what the media would say if they caught Kid Flash insulting the CEO of Myer Industries."

"The what? And how do you know who he is when he's wearing a mask?"

"I'm good at reading body language… it's very telling of people's identities. As for Myer Industries, they manufacture some of the country's leading technology."

"Whatever." Wally waves his words away with his second sausage. "I'm not the tech geek of the group. Robin might have an aneurism, but I'm sure Batman has his own personal tech manufacturing plant in the Batcave."

Dick looks curious about this information, and Wally wonders for the first time what Dick Grayson's life must be like on a day-to-day basis. Sure, the earlier part of his life hasn't been the greatest, at least based on what the media says, but now that he's Bruce Wayne's ward, he has enough riches to last him more than several lifetimes.

Given the money and the decently good looks, the kid's probably a celebrity at school as well. The worst that can happen is a couple of minor kidnappings.

"Are you and Robin good friends?" Dick suddenly asks. He tugs at the sleeve of his suit jacket, looking suddenly awkward. "I've met him a couple times. He's a really cool guy." He smirks a little at this, as if he knows something the rest of the world doesn't.

Wally polishes off his sausage and reaches over to grab Dick's unfinished apple cider.

"He's my best friend," he admits after he swallows the drink, feeling remarkably satiated. "Technically I should think of him as my kid brother since he's a couple years younger than me, but then I see him fight and it's just… _incredible_." Wally shakes his head as he thinks of this. "He's actually pretty famous in his own right too. He's Batman's protégé, sure, but he's also the first ever sidekick. He was actually _my_ inspiration, you know? I figure, if a nine-year-old kid can help save the world, why can't I?"

There's silence, and Wally looks over to find Dick looking at him, his blue eyes impossibly wide. He wears an expression of pure astonishment tinged with the barest hint of embarrassment, and Wally is confused.

"What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Why don't you like me?"

Dick's question is surprising, out of the blue, and completely stumps him. "What?"

"You talk about Robin as if he can do no wrong, but you've disliked me since the first day you met me." Dick shrugs then, as if he's trying to be nonchalant about the whole thing. "I don't know… I just figured I'd ask. Not very many people dislike me. It's a rather new experience actually."

Wally snorts. "Cocky much, kid?"

"Just being truthful."

"I don't _dislike_ you," he says, shrugging a little. He suddenly feels kind of bad that he's been so impatient with Dick, but honestly, he still thinks there are better ways for him to spend his time. "I just don't see why I have to be here, dressed like _this_." He gestures at the haphazard suit he has on. "I'm not cut out for all this fancy schmancy stuff, you know? And right now, I'm just being a glorified babysitter. Not really my cup of tea."

Dick rests his chin on his hand and thinks this over. "I trust Batman wouldn't have given you this mission if he didn't think it was important."

Wally rolls his eyes. He just can't help it. "Batman and Flash just want me out of trouble. This is the easiest way, especially since Robin's on some top secret mission."

"But isn't Flash here as well? You honestly don't think anything's going to happen?"

"This is a masquerade charity ball, Grayson. What do you think-"

He doesn't get to finish his sentence before a loud explosion rocks the ballroom, leaving a gaping hole in the west wall. Wally winces when the lady closest to him screams like a banshee and then promptly passes out. If the situation were different, he thinks he would've rolled his eyes at the mayhem that ensues, but instead, his reflexes kick in and he quickly grabs Dick and hurries him out of the ballroom and into the connecting hallway.

"Are you okay?" he asks Dick, and peers around to make sure there aren't any suspicious-looking people following them. "What was _that?_ "

Dick's perfectly gelled hair is a little windswept, but he seems otherwise unruffled. "Probably a distraction. It happens a lot."

Wally's confused. "A distraction for what?"

"It's a charity ball, meaning in a couple of hours, Bruce is going to present a large check to the winner of the raffle. The winner gets to donate that sum to a charity of his or her choosing. I'm estimating this check is at least four million dollars. It's the perfect opportunity to steal the money."

Now Wally's worried, and he wonders if he should reach out to Flash to make sure Bruce Wayne's okay.

"Don't worry though," Dick says, almost as if he can read Wally's thoughts. "Bruce predicted this already so he's got a fake check stored in the safe." He smiles then, and pats the front of his suit jacket. "Guess where the real check is?"

Wally looks at Dick like he's grown five heads and thinks the kid's insane. _Either insane or really smart_ , his minds whispers, and he scowls. As much as he hates to admit it, Dick Grayson is starting to remind him more and more of Robin. It's a mildly disturbing thought. Robin's a hero and his best pal, and Dick Grayson… well, he may have brains, but he doesn't come close to saving the world.

"What if you had gotten kidnapped?" he finally sputters out, feeling marginally overwhelmed. "Then everything would've gone to hell!"

Dick shrugs, but his smile is still there, his blue eyes sparkling. "Nah, I would've been okay no matter what. I have you, don't I?"

Wally has nothing to say to that.

 **-3-**

The third time Wally crosses paths with Dick Grayson, he's in trouble. _Again_.

"Why must you keep getting kidnapped?" he yells as he speeds past three growling goons with uncomfortably large maces. "Why can't you just _stay put?_ "

Dick is seated on a wooden chair in the middle of the room, hands and feet bound with thick coarse rope. He's sporting a bruise or two on his face and he doesn't look at all pleased at having been called out.

"It's not like I'm _trying_ to get kidnapped," he complains, struggling a little.

"Wayne really needs to keep you under lock and key!"

Wally jerks to a stop in front of the fourth goon and spins around, decking the man neatly in the jaw. He doesn't wait before nailing two others in their kneecaps, which leaves only five more hovering around uncertainly.

He pauses to assess the situation, and then blanches. "They sent _ten_ men to capture you?"

"It's eleven actually," Dick answers pompously, sounding for a moment like he's proud of this tidbit. "You clearly can't count. Stay focused, Kid Flash."

Wally spares a moment to glare at the kid, snaps, "Be quiet or I'll duct tape your mouth shut," and then darts around the room to secure the three men currently cowering next to the huge crate in the back corner.

He turns around to see what the remaining two men are doing, and then rolls his eyes when he sees them making a beeline towards the door. He wonders why they even bother becoming henchmen if they run at the first sign of danger, but he decides not to question this as he knocks both men out with the good ol' one-two.

Wally straightens with a dust of his hands and sighs exaggeratedly before making his way over to Dick, who's still reenacting the part of a damsel in distress perfectly.

"We really need to set some rules," he says, feeling incredibly grouchy, "so the League can stop dragging my ass over here to save you."

Dick frowns. "That's not very nice. What kind of superhero are you if you don't like rescuing people?"

"I like rescuing people. I just don't like rescuing dumb kids who keep getting themselves into trouble."

"Well no one asked you to come," Dick responds petulantly, and his lower lip puffs out in a pout, making him look like he's three instead of the eleven he's supposed to be. "Where are Batman and Robin? Why can't _they_ come? They're so much nicer and _so much better_."

Wally's mouth flattens into a tight line and Dick beams.

"They are _not_ better," he gripes, and swears he can hear Robin cackling in his head now. "You clearly don't know what you're talking about."

He doesn't wait for Dick to respond before he bends down and works on undoing the ropes. They're thick and tight and a pain to unravel, and he briefly wonders if it would be okay if he just leaves Dick in the warehouse and waits for Bruce Wayne to rescue him. But then he imagines the batglare he'd receive from Batman and shudders.

One final yank and Dick's legs are free. He wrings out his hands and whines a little when he sees how red they are from the chafing.

That's when he hears an ominous _click_ , and Dick yells, "KF! Behind you!" But for once in his life, he doesn't move quickly enough and feels a sharp prick in his thigh.

He looks down at the red dart, frowns, and goes, "What the-" but then he feels it, the numbness that comes with the presence of an anesthetic. The last time he had felt something like this was when his dentist was busy drilling a hole through his teeth to fill a cavity – too many sweets, he swears – but even then, it was localized numbing.

Dick swears colorfully. "You're paralyzed, KF."

Wally struggles to stand, but his legs feel like they're made of rubber and he collapses again. "Goddammit," he mutters, and tries again to no avail.

The goon that fired the tranquilizer gains more confidence as he sees Wally's struggle, and he laughs, a high-pitched cold laugh that chills Wally to the bone. He pulls out another gun, and this time, Wally's certain it's loaded with real bullets.

"Say goodbye, Flash boy," the goon snarls, and unclicks the safety.

"It's _Kid Flash_ ," Wally grumbles, despite the fear pooling in the pit of his stomach. "Why can't anyone get it right?"

He throws himself in front of Dick and closes his eyes, bracing for impact. He figures, even if he dies, at least Flash and Batman would know he died trying to protect the kid's life. His job wouldn't be a complete failure.

Even as he's mired in these self-glorifying thoughts, he hears a loud screech from behind him, and then someone shouts, "KF, _move!_ "

He thinks it sounds like Robin, but that can't possibly be true. Robin isn't here.

You're apparently supposed to see your life flash before your eyes upon your impending death, but instead, Wally only gets to hear Boy Wonder's voice. It figures. Maybe he hasn't lived long enough to warrant a flashback.

The gun fires.

Wally feels wind around his face, and looks up just in time to see Dick Grayson flipping over his head. He lands in a smooth crouch and kicks out, knocking the gun out of the goon's hand. The bullet flies wayward, and one more roundhouse kick sends the man to the ground, collapsing him like a ragdoll.

Dick turns around, hands still bound, and hurries back, his blue eyes wide with worry as he crouches in front of Wally. "KF, are you okay? Did the bullet get you?"

And Wally just sits there, legs like jelly, mouth open like a very unattractive goldfish, and he stares at Dick and hazily thinks that his voice is soothing and calming, despite the urgent undertones. And familiar. Very, very familiar.

Because there has only ever been one other person who refers to him as KF…

"How did you," he starts, chokes, tries again, "how on earth did you learn to do _that?_ That's not… that's… but-"

"Kid Flash, you're rambling."

Wally feels himself vibrating a little from the anxiety. "But you're not supposed to be able to do that!"

"KF-"

His eyes grow wide as he stares at Dick. "You're an imposter!" he cries. "You must be. _You're supposed to be useless!"_

"Wally!"

That gets his attention. "What… _what_ did you just call me?"

Now Dick is biting his lip, staring at Wally as if he's expecting something to click. But Wally doesn't know what he's supposed to think. All he knows is that he somehow suddenly _recognizes_ features on Dick Grayson's face that he shouldn't recognize… the fine bone structure, high cheekbones, the familiar curl of his lips when he's _feeling the aster…_

But now those lips are turned down into a small worried frown.

It hits Wally with the force of a freight train, and he wonders how, just _how_ he hasn't seen it before?

He lifts a hand, points a finger, stutters, "You… you-you're Rob… _Robin?_ "

And Dick has the grace to look embarrassed, and he ducks his head, disturbing a few gelled strands on his head, and mutters, "Guilty."

Then he peeks up, his blue eyes huge in the gloom, and smiles a hesitant smile. "Given that you've rescued me three times already, I would've thought you'd figured it out already. But when you didn't... I guess I just thought it wasn't meant to be. Batman did give strict orders for me not to say anything."

Wally tries hard to wrap his mind around the situation. The spoiled brat that he's been saving time and time again has been his _best pal_ all along? He wonders if Flash already knows and is secretly laughing to himself right now.

"You dick!" he finally cries, and gives him a nice hard shove that sends him flat on his back. "How could you not tell me? I thought we were best friends!"

Dick winces and struggles back to an upright position. It looks difficult given that his hands are still tied, and he scowls at the enraged Wally. "We _are_ best friends. I just didn't expect you to be so slow in figuring it out, dork." He holds out his hands then, almost like a kid begging to be held, and says, "Now can you please untie me? This lack of mobility is kind of annoying."

Wally glares at him, arms petulantly crossed as he debates whether he should follow through with the assistance. But logic wins out over his childish emotions and he obediently reaches forward and unties the knots, but he makes sure to let Dick know that he's still pissed by yanking unnecessarily hard on the last knot, causing Dick to grimace when the thick ropes chafe against his skin.

"If you didn't want me to know, why did you save me just now?" he snaps, because honestly, he's still _upset_.

"I couldn't exactly let you get _shot_ , idiot." Dick rolls his eyes and smooths out his clothes, letting out a sigh when he notices specks of blood on his white shirt. "Man, Alfred's going to be pissed again. He only just managed to get all the blood out of the last shirt."

Wally rubs his face with his hands, feeling suddenly weary and as if he's on the brink of a startling discovery. From the last few interactions, he knows Alfred is the Wayne family's butler. He _must know_ about Dick's superhero identity, in that case. There is no way you can keep something like this secret. But if that's the case and even the butler is privy to this knowledge, then Bruce Wayne has to be in on the secret as well. But why would a billionaire be willing to let his precious ward "fight the good fight?"

He freezes.

"Holy mother of pearl," he shouts, and then slaps a hand to his mouth when Dick gestures at him to _shh be quiet or someone else might come!_ "If you're Robin and Alfred is Alfred, then does that mean _Batman-_ "

"What about Batman?"

Wally screams and spins around as fast as his numbed legs would let him, and finds himself face-to-face with the caped crusader, who suddenly looks a lot more menacing now than he had before. He hurriedly checks himself to make sure he hasn't wet his pants and then scoots back a little to give himself some breathing room.

Batman looks down at him from his lofty height, and if it weren't for his cowl, Wally is certain the man's raising an eyebrow at his predicament. "It seems you were discussing me, Kid Flash. I am very interestedin what you had to say."

Dick lets out a sound that's a half snicker half snort, and Wally shoot him a glare that screams _shut up!_ He's sure his face is red and he's sweating more than the freakin' Niagara Falls, but when he looks back at Batman, the man's attention is already focused on Dick.

"Are you all right, Mr. Grayson?" he rumbles, and Wally mentally slaps himself for not putting two and two together regarding the voices. They even sound similar!

Dick, for the most part, keeps a stoic face and blinks up at the man innocently, looking for all the world like a good little schoolboy. "Of course, Batman! Kid Flash has been nothing but a hero, as always. He even stopped a bullet for me!" He beams at Wally, and Wally struggles to keep himself from strangling him.

 _Goddammit, Rob. This is such a disaster…_

Batman glances back at Kid Flash, almost skeptically, and then dismisses him with a shrug. He helps Dick to his feet and gestures towards the now-open doors to the warehouse. "I've spoken with Mr. Wayne and he is desperate to have you back home. Shall we?"

Dick grins, "Yes, sir" and obediently grabs his schoolbag from where the goons had kicked it earlier. He pauses when he passes Wally and winks, his blue eyes impossibly bright, looking so tickled by the situation that Wally wants to deck him.

And yet he still has to be sure, so he points a finger at Batman's retreating back and mouths, _Batman? Bruce Wayne?_

The numerous question marks must've been clear on his face because Dick snickers again, motions at his ear and mimes a phone, and mouths, _I'll call you later_ , before he walks out of the warehouse and out of sight.

Wally is left to stare at the open doorway, wondering what in the _seven hells_ has just happened. And when Flash finally shows up to see the damage, he finds a very stupefied Kid Flash on the floor, looking for all the world like he'd just been told that magic is real.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** AKA the three times Wally West was too dumb to realize his best friend's been at his side this whole time. :) This idea just popped into my head one day and wouldn't leave me alone... so here we are! For those of you following _Our Today_ , I'm really, really sorry for getting distracted and I promise I'm almost done with the next chapter! Hope you all enjoyed! I always love me some good Dick&Wally friendship fics, so this was very fun to write.

On another note, if you're ever curious about any upcoming new stories or status updates, I update my profile pretty regularly, so feel free to drop by and check it out! Thanks for reading, and if you have a spare moment, drop me a note and let me know what you think!

 _xox KRS_


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